Fergie: The Superstar

You’ve gotta love Fergie! I certainly do. I karaoke to the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” and have great memories of my daughter Carrie belting out “Fergalicious” at age 10. And why not? Fergie’s soaring vocals and dare-you-to-look-away sex appeal have made her an unstoppable musical force, both as a solo artist and with the Peas. The group picked up three Grammys this year, for a total of six, and may be poised for more with their new album, The Beginning. Plus, ever since 2003, when she joined the Peas, Fergie has
symbolized girl power. She’s shown a real social conscience, working for causes from AIDS to cancer. She’s launched a fragrance. And she’s married to the very hunky actor Josh Duhamel. For a star who’s practically achieved global domination, Fergie is still the girl next door—albeit one with a closetful of leather catsuits. As a former Glamour winner, I felt honored to interview Fergie—the voice on my iPod!—as a 2010 Woman of the Year.

KATIE COURIC: I want to start by saying how sorry I am that you’re experiencing a bit of a career slump. [Laughs.] Geez, woman! You’ve had an incredible run!

FERGIE: Oh, girl. Yeah, it’s crazy.

KATIE COURIC: Two number-one singles with the Black Eyed Peas that spent a consecutive 26 weeks at the top of the charts, the longest streak for any group in years. Six Grammys, a worldwide concert tour and now a new album. I mean, do you sometimes have to pinch yourself?

FERGIE: I kind of am right now, hearing all of that. Because, you know, I don’t just bask in everything. My mom and dad and stepdad ordered display cases for Josh and me to put our awards in. They haven’t arrived yet, but it’s nice to think about getting my awards out of the safe and putting them in one by one. Because when you’re in the middle of it, you don’t just sit there and give yourself gold stars all the time.

KATIE COURIC: Where are you putting these cases?

FERGIE: Right in the lobby [of our house]. I’m going through an evolution. I’m completely cleaning out my closet. I’m purging, because I saw that show Hoarders. I had a sweatshirt from sixth grade, and I’m going, Why do I hold on to this? I talked to my therapist and realized that [it’s because] when I was growing up, my mom would get [me] clothes donated from the church. And part of me was just holding on to things, thinking it was all going to go away.

KATIE COURIC: Not to play therapist, but that’s probably indicative of the uncertainty of show business, never knowing if you’re going to hit it big. How did you keep going?

FERGIE: Well, for some lucky reason or gift from God, I’ve known what I wanted to do since I was a little girl. And even through disappointments and rejection, there was something inside of me that wouldn’t give up. I’m a survivor, and I’m very driven.

KATIE COURIC: Are you also the kind of person who enjoys the journey as much as the destination? I think that’s the key for so many people.

FERGIE: I do, and I had to learn that and keep repeating what my dad told me when I was younger: Success is in the journey. A lot of times on tour it’s about, OK, where am I today? Wow, I’m in Costa Rica. What is their famous dish? And it’s about trying the food, and really experiencing it.

KATIE COURIC: All right, in the completely shallow department, you have a sick body, woman.

FERGIE: Thank you, mama!

KATIE COURIC: [Laughs.] No, seriously, damn. How do you do that?

FERGIE: I work out all the time.

KATIE COURIC: I’m curious—what kinds of things do you do for exercise?

FERGIE: Cardio, resistance and a lot of jogging. I love to go hiking. I’m bringing my trainer on tour. I said I’m going to invest this in myself, into my self-worth, into my self-esteem.

KATIE COURIC: Your parents were both teachers, and you were a very good student. How did their profession influence you?

FERGIE: Greatly. Grades were important in our house. I was reading by two. My mom would sit there and read with me, read with me, read with me. It was wonderful.

KATIE COURIC: You were also a child TV star and appeared on Kids Incorporated for six years. A lot of child stars end up like Danny Bonaduce, bless his heart. How did your parents manage to keep your feet on the ground?

FERGIE: First of all, they didn’t take any of [my] money. They put it in a trust fund for me. And once in a while, my mother and I would go into this luxurious store, and I’d pick out one outfit that I could buy for myself. This is the girl who got hand-me-downs from the church. So it was the most special treat in the world. Although [as a child who is working] you become kind of a little adult. You have to be professional. That’s how I learned to be a people pleaser.

KATIE COURIC: Let me ask more about body image. What would you say to young women who are filled with self-loathing? I read a scary statistic recently that said only 2 percent of women like how they look.

FERGIE: It’s become actually the norm, I feel. And it’s really sad. The thing that I can say is, you’re not alone. [And if] you start making the right choices for yourself, all of a sudden you start feeling better and better. You’d be surprised how addicting high self-esteem is.

KATIE COURIC: You’ve often talked about your recovery from crystal meth addiction. Is staying sober a conscious act for you every single day?

FERGIE: Well, I’m not claiming to be sober. I think that that would be misleading. I drink alcohol. My father has a vineyard, and [the wine is] really delicious, by the way.

KATIE COURIC: Send me a bottle.

FERGIE: I will. Anyway, for most addicts, they would advise never to have any sort of substance. I just have my own journey, and I am very blessed to this day to be alive.

KATIE COURIC: Let’s talk about being a rock ‘n’ roll gal in what might be perceived as an all-boys’ club.

FERGIE: You gotta be tough. And you gotta have a thick skin. You will get teased. I definitely took on the little sister role in [the Peas]. And it’s hilarious, because I always wanted a big brother—well, I got a bunch of ‘em. Be careful what you wish for. [Laughs.]

KATIE COURIC: Let me ask you about your cute husband, Josh. You guys have been married for almost two years, and I remember feeling for you during the first year, because you had to put up with so much garbage in the tabloids. How did you get through that?

FERGIE: Just by knowing that our relationship was stronger than that. We live in a voyeuristic world, and it’s part of our business. But I like to [focus on] all the perks that I get in this business. Sometimes I’m going to have paparazzi when I walk out the door and I want to go hiking and wear no makeup.

KATIE COURIC: And then you’ll be featured in something like “Stars Without Makeup!” It can be unsettling and confidence-shaking. It must have taken some adjustment for you.

FERGIE: Definitely. And that comes with having a thick skin and a really good therapist. [Laughs.]

KATIE COURIC: And really good parents. Because I think you have to be kind of a fully formed person to not have this kind of celebrity shake you to your core.

FERGIE: You have to be strong. You have to know how you are, and you have to know who your partner is and you have to know who your friends—who your real friends are. I’m very lucky about my family, because they’re just a really solid family. I owe everything to them.

KATIE COURIC: I’m so impressed with everything you do outside the Peas. You’ve done acting—you were in Nine. You did the MAC campaign for AIDS funding, the Viva Glam campaign. You launched a shoe collection. You’ve been active in Global Green USA. Do you feel a responsibility to use your celebrity to promote causes you believe in deeply?

FERGIE: I definitely do. I mean, I just went on a breast cancer walk, and it was one of the most fulfilling days I’ve ever had.

KATIE COURIC: You also did the Stand Up to Cancer [benefit in 2008].

FERGIE: My dad had stage IV cancer in his sinuses. He had surgery and radiation. My mom, when she was 38, had cervical cancer, stage II. So this is close to home.

KATIE COURIC: Changing topics, what life or career advice would you give? Is there one lesson you’ve learned that might be helpful to young women?

FERGIE: Eye cream. No. [Laughs.] I mean, that is one. But that’s the most shallow one of them all. Basically, there were periods of my life when a lot of people didn’t believe in me. [But] I still had faith in myself. I really had to ask myself life questions. Where do I see myself in five years? Create a ladder for yourself, and walk up the steps. Climb that ladder.

KATIE COURIC: I have a few questions from Glamour readers. Lauren Murphy from Moulton, Alabama, wants to know if you still make runs to Taco Bell, as you say in the lyrics to your hit song “Glamorous”?

FERGIE: I think I always will. Not all the time, though. It’s a once-in-a-while occasion now.

KATIE COURIC: OK, so only for special occasions. Rebecca Fuller Kinsey of Atlanta asks, “How do you handle it when women are flocking all over your sexy husband? Does it ever bother you?” I guess we could ask Josh the same question, right?

FERGIE: [Laughs.] Well, I knew, getting into a relationship with him, that girls were very attracted to him. He was filming a show called Las Vegas and was constantly around half-naked women. It was just the premise of the show. For me, I’m not a jealous person. That’s just not my thing. You have to have trust in your relationship.

KATIE COURIC: And self-confidence too, I think.

FERGIE: I think a lot of young teenagers try to get [esteem] from accolades from other people, or boys, and what you learn as you get older is that you have to create that within yourself.

KATIE COURIC: Well said. And Carolina Tello of Kenilworth, New Jersey, wants to know, “Any babies on your agenda?”